STM closes three more metro entrances
The STM has closed three metro entrances in an effort to limit access to homeless people: the Belmont Street access to Square‑Victoria station, the de Maisonneuve entrance to McGill station and the northern entrance to de Castelnau station. It has already been locking the Cabot Square entrance to Atwater metro in wintertime for a couple of years.
CE 16:06 on 2026-04-07 Permalink
I wouldn’t be surprised if this happens at the Laurier entrance at Laurier station. Since there is no attendant there, over the last couple years I’ve seen pretty much everything you can imagine at the entrance and on the mezzanine above the platforms short of murder.
Nicholas 16:53 on 2026-04-07 Permalink
St Hubert entrance at Jean Talon. The other day I saw nine metro cops there in a circle with the leader talking to the rest and just as much stuff as usual going on down the corridor.
qatzelok 20:37 on 2026-04-07 Permalink
Alexis Nihon Plaza last week: I was yelled at by a schizophrenic man as I used the urinal, and then I was yelled at by a schizophrenic lady as I got up from a bench.
I wonder how the students of Dawson College are handling the recent takeover of their mall.
Kate 21:08 on 2026-04-07 Permalink
Nicholas, on reddit it’s been noted that the exit you mention has become a problem since they turned the Bain St‑Denis building around the corner into a warming station for the homeless.
I would also guess that the De Castelnau edicule and passage have become a problem since a small homeless shelter was opened a block away, in what used to be a sort of rooming house.
Ian 21:12 on 2026-04-07 Permalink
@qatzi it’s not recent. Alexis Nihon has been a hotspot for that kind of thing since the 90s at least.
@CE about 12 years ago I met a young man in the middle of an OD at that entrance. I sat with him until the ambulance arrived.
Tim S. 08:25 on 2026-04-08 Permalink
The Atwater area is much worse, post-pandemic, than it has been in recent decades.
Jonathan 08:58 on 2026-04-08 Permalink
I use the St Hubert exit at Jean Talon every day. I feel that the situation has improved since they opened the warming station at the bain St Denis. There are usually a few unhoused people hanging around but other than just sometimes yelling at each other they don’t seem to be too disruptive. I do notice the place smells a bit uric.
As usual, waay too many cops hanging around doing absolutely nothing.
Chris 09:48 on 2026-04-08 Permalink
I was at Atwater recently: definitely worse than in the past.
I don’t use the metro much (I mostly bike) but the 10 or so times I’ve used it in 2026 every time I’ve wished I was back on my bike. It stinks of urine (or worse) absolutely everywhere. Not in the actual cars at least, but entrances, platforms, exits.
It’s gone way downhill. No doubt partly to a huge loss of revenue in recent years with less ridership.
Theo 10:56 on 2026-04-08 Permalink
They removed attendants a a variety of metro entrances as a money saving measure. Now they have storm troopers demanding guns and money… I guess they were blindsided.
The Atwater “difficulties” could be handled by removing the doors, or just keeping them open at all times during the winter.
But no one asked for my opinion.
Kate 12:52 on 2026-04-08 Permalink
Opinions are always welcome here, Theo.
Nicholas 13:22 on 2026-04-08 Permalink
Have any metro entrances lost attendants recently? The ones that don’t have attendants that I can think of, like Laurier north and St Hubert from Jean Talon, have been like that for 30, 40(?), 50(??) years. So you wouldn’t expect changes based on that.
Kate 23:26 on 2026-04-08 Permalink
I think Fabre lost its attendant more recently, but I don’t use that station often enough to be certain.
JP 00:20 on 2026-04-09 Permalink
I could be mistaken but when I first started using Henri-Bourassa metro about 15 (?) years ago, I’m pretty sure both exits had an attendant…a few years later the western exit attendant was removed.